The Center for Emotional Healing, LLC

02/14/2026

The most important relationship is the one you have with yourself 🩷

02/10/2026

01/28/2026

🌧️ Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD): What You Should Know 🌧️

During the winter months, many people notice changes in mood, energy, or motivation. This may be Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), a type of depression that often occurs when daylight is limited.

Common signs:

-Feeling down or sad most of the day

-Losing interest in activities you normally enjoy

-Changes in sleep or appetite

-Trouble concentrating or low energy

Why it happens:
SAD is linked to reduced light exposure, which can affect your body’s internal clock and mood-regulating chemicals like serotonin and melatonin.

💡 Practical strategies you might not have heard before:

Structured Daily Schedule – Keep consistent wake-up, meal, and bedtime routines to help regulate your circadian rhythm.

Targeted Light Therapy – Use a 10,000 lux light therapy box for 20–30 minutes each morning to mimic natural sunlight.

Mood-Boosting Nutrients – Include foods rich in omega-3s, vitamin D, and B vitamins to support brain health.

Evening Screen Management – Limit blue light from phones or computers at night to maintain healthy melatonin levels.

Social “Mini-Rituals” – Schedule brief daily social interactions, even just a quick call or coffee.

Mindful Light Movement – Combine short indoor exercise with bright light exposure to boost mood and reinforce your body clock.

Behavioral Activation – Plan small, enjoyable tasks each day, even if motivation is low, taking action can improve mood more than waiting to “feel like it.”

If symptoms interfere with your daily life, a mental health professional can help you explore personalized strategies and treatments.

01/20/2026

Looking for something different than traditional talk therapy?

Sometimes talking alone isn’t enough to process trauma, stress, or emotional blocks. That’s where alternative therapies like Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), EMDR, and Brainspotting can help.
• Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT): Helps you reframe unhelpful thoughts and beliefs that keep trauma or anxiety alive, giving you practical tools to move forward.
• EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing): Works with your brain’s natural processing system to reduce the emotional impact of traumatic memories…often faster than traditional talk therapy.
• Brainspotting: A body based approach that taps into the nervous system to access and release stored trauma, helping you feel “unstuck” and more grounded.

If you’re ready for a therapy approach that goes beyond talking, these options might be the change you need.

Reach out today to learn which approach could work best for you.

01/20/2026

✨ Now Accepting New Clients ✨
Kimaira Bernardini, LPC

Addiction and Recovery Support

Kimaira Bernardini is a Licensed Professional Counselor who supports individuals navigating addiction and recovery. She works with clients in early recovery and long-term healing, helping them build stability, strengthen coping skills, and repair relationships. Her approach focuses on understanding the underlying drivers of substance use so clients can create meaningful, sustainable change.

Kimaira also supports families and loved ones impacted by addiction. She helps them understand the recovery process, process their own experiences, and rebuild trust and stability. Her collaborative, practical style meets clients where they are and supports real-life healing.

Brainspotting Therapy

Kimaira is passionate about helping clients feel more grounded and reconnected with themselves. She uses Brainspotting to support individuals experiencing trauma, dissociation, or feeling stuck. This body-based approach works directly with the nervous system, helping clients process unresolved experiences and move forward without relying solely on talk therapy.

In-person sessions available in Burlington. Telehealth available
In-network with most insurance plans and accepts private pay.

Kimaira is currently accepting new clients.

01/05/2026

🎉 Celebrating Our Clinicians! 🎉

We’re excited to celebrate two wonderful therapists on our team and share a little more about how they support our clients:

✨ Cassidy O’Brien, LCSW is celebrating 4 years with us!
Cassidy is a telehealth provider who brings a calm, professional, and grounded presence to her work. She takes a holistic approach to therapy, blending experiential and nature-based methods with evidence-based practices like DBT, CBT, and ACT. Cassidy works with adolescents and adults and believes deeply in empowering clients as the experts of their own lives.
📅 Availability: Telehealth appointments on Sundays, with varying afternoon availability on Mondays and Tuesdays.

✨ Angela Farmer is celebrating 1 year with us!
Angela is a full-time, in-person therapist in our Burlington office and also sees clients through our New Britain Pediatrics satellite office. She is known for her compassionate, thoughtful approach and her ability to truly meet clients where they are. Angela works with individuals experiencing anxiety, depression, suicidal thoughts, and self-harm, using CBT, mindfulness, and a trauma-focused lens. She also values balance and brings that grounded perspective into her work with clients.
📅 Availability: Daytime, in-person openings in Burlington (or telehealth).

We’re grateful to have both Cassidy and Angela on our team and proud to offer their care to our community. If you’re looking to get started with therapy or return to care, now is a great time to reach out 860-351-7445

01/01/2026

Shawn Curtis, PsyD is officially booking in-office appointments at our Burlington location Monday–Friday, 8:00 AM–5:00 PM.

Telehealth appointments are also available, offering flexibility and convenience.

Shawn Curtis, PsyD, is a licensed clinical psychologist in Connecticut. He earned his Doctor of Psychology degree from Wright State University in 2018 and has received broad training across outpatient, inpatient, forensic, and community mental health settings. His background as a generalist allows him to work with a wide range of concerns, while his additional training in psychological testing and forensic evaluation adds depth, clarity, and precision to his clinical work.

Dr. Curtis works with adults ages 18 and older, offering both in-person sessions at the Burlington office and telehealth appointments. He is currently accepting Aetna, HUSKY (CT Medicaid), Optum, UMR, UnitedHealthcare, and private-pay clients. Anthem and Cigna are pending.

In therapy, Dr. Curtis takes a collaborative, person-centered approach that emphasizes emotional safety, understanding, and meaningful change. His work is informed by Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Interpersonal Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, Solution-Focused Therapy, mindfulness practices, Gestalt principles, and supportive talk therapy. Rather than relying on a single framework, he integrates these approaches thoughtfully to meet each client where they are.

Dr. Curtis is especially passionate about working with individuals who struggle with depression, anxiety, grief, and the long-term impact of trauma, particularly relational trauma. Many clients come to therapy feeling emotionally exhausted, disconnected from themselves, or unsure how they arrived at their current circumstances. He helps clients slow down, feel genuinely understood, rebuild trust in themselves and others, and develop greater clarity about their needs, values, and next steps.

In addition to psychotherapy, Dr. Curtis provides psychological testing and forensic evaluation services, as well as treatment for individuals involved in or impacted by legal or forensic systems when clinically appropriate.

His work emphasizes careful role boundaries, ethical practice, and coordination with relevant systems as needed. Across all aspects of his work, his goal is to help people reconnect with their sense of self and move forward with greater resilience, confidence, and meaning.

Call our main line to book with Dr. Curtis 860-351-7445